“The Lion King is one of the most popular films in Disney’s entire history, and the 2019 live-action remake – and I put quotes because it was actually animation, albeit with photorealistic CGI – proved, thanks to its tremendous success, that the film continued to be one of the most beloved by fans of the company.”
Now, a new film has been confirmed that will continue exploring the universe of Simba, Rafiki, and company: Mufasa: The Lion King. This film will depict the origins of Mufasa, how he became the revered king, and his relationship with his brother, which, as we saw in the original movie, ultimately led to his demise.
The film will be directed by Barry Jenkins, the director who won an Oscar for Moonlight in 2016 – triumphing over La La Land along the way – and is set to be released on July 5, 2024. But what if this is just a glimpse of something much larger that Disney is preparing for the future?
“The Lion King could expand and become a great epic saga”
During a recent interview with The New York Times, Sean Bailey, the president of Walt Disney Studios, stated that The Lion King could become a new saga for the company. It could follow the path of Star Wars, which Disney acquired in 2012, and other original IPs that could potentially make it on par with Marvel. His response was as follows:
“The Lion King could expand and become a grand epic saga, similar to the Star Wars franchise. There is ample space within that universe if we can discover the right stories.”
This implies that we could expect more of The Lion King in the future. It’s important to note that the original animated film had two direct-to-video sequels: The Lion King 2 in 1998 and The Lion King 1½ in 2004. Both films could have their own live-action versions, but there are also many other undiscovered stories to explore.
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